| Prenatal vitamins are a hot topic among many women | | | | important, andwill be found in most prenatal vitamins. |
| thesedays and many of them are talking about the | | | | FOLIC ACID |
| benefits ofusing them before getting pregnant. The | | | | Folic acid is a must during pregnancy. It is plentiful indark |
| reasoning is thatprenatal vitamins may help prevent | | | | leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, and whole grains,among |
| some birth defects. | | | | other foods. It cuts the risk of birth defects inbabies, |
| Prenatal vitamins, in my opinion, should probably | | | | and is almost always found in prenatal vitamins. |
| becomepart of the diet plan for expecting mothers. | | | | Folic acid has been proven crucial for a baby's neural |
| Pregnancygreatly increases the need for some | | | | tubedevelopment, especially during the first trimester |
| nutrients and it can behard to meet these needs | | | | whenwomen are most likely to suffer from nausea |
| through diet alone. Iron and folicacid are two such | | | | and vomiting. Infact, some recommend women should |
| nutrients. Pregnancy is a time when bothmother and | | | | start taking about 400micrograms of folate at least a |
| baby are growing quickly. This rapid growthincreases | | | | month before they starttrying to conceive. |
| the demand for all nutrients, and the developmentof | | | | CALCIUM |
| the baby and placenta are directly influenced by | | | | Calcium is extremely important as well as essential to |
| themother's nutritional status. Doctors will often | | | | boththe mother and child in pregnancy. Calcium and |
| prescribe aprenatal vitamin to a pregnant patient, but | | | | magnesiumhelp protect the mother's bones during this |
| some evidencesuggests that vitamins are beneficial | | | | time when thedemands of both her body as well as |
| for women who areplanning to conceive. The | | | | the baby's body forthese nutrients must be met. A |
| consistent use of prenatalvitamins during pregnancy | | | | good prenatal vitamin willcontain calcium, but the |
| and breastfeeding is advisable toreduce or avert the | | | | mother must also eat a wellbalanced diet to obtain |
| chances of nutrition deficiencies. | | | | calcium as well. |
| Most of the prenatal vitamins currently available are | | | | With regard to prenatal vitamins, they are not all |
| meantto make-up for possible nutritional failings. They | | | | createdequal. Most of them try and pack as much as |
| almostalways include such nutrients as folic acid, | | | | possible intotheir vitamins, but they must be careful not |
| calcium, andiron. These nutrients lessen the likelihood of | | | | to promoteexcess of what may amount to be toxic |
| birth defectscaused by nutritional deficiencies. | | | | levels of fat solublevitamins...for instance Vitamin A |
| IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS FOR MOTHER AND | | | | instead of beta-carotene,vitamin A's precursor. The |
| CHILD: | | | | best prenatal needs to providewhat mother and child |
| DHA | | | | needs, at just the right amounts, aswell as avoiding |
| DHA is a fatty acid and is necessary for a baby's | | | | amounts that avoid toxicity. |
| braindevelopment. It is needed by the child from the | | | | Keith Henry is a medical missionary herbalist,and |
| veryearliest stages of pregnancy throughout the time | | | | Naturopatheic Doctor Candidate. He is the Director of |
| ofbreastfeeding. DHA belongs to the omega -3 family | | | | Phase 3 Ministries Inc., based in Orlando, FL. Check out |
| of fattyacids and is essential, especially in pregnancy. | | | | Prenatal One A Dayfor the Prenatal vitamins that he |
| IRON | | | | recommends |
| The mineral iron is drawn upon heavily by the baby in | | | | ThePrenatal One A Day vitamins are excellent to help |
| thethird trimester of pregnancy; it draws its supply | | | | the body with its nutritional requirements. |
| from thestored supply of the mother. Iron is very | | | | |